Individual Giving Up; Minnesota Grantmaking Stable

The report shows giving by individuals, foundations and corporate giving programs totaled $5.2 billion for the 2010 research year, a modest 2.6% increase over 2009.

The 2010 research year, the most recent time period for which complete data are available, includes financial information from foundations and corporate giving programs with fiscal years ending between June 1, 2010, and May 31, 2011.

Individual giving grew 3.4% to $3.8 billion and accounted for most of the overall increase. The majority of the state’s charitable giving — 73% in 2010 — comes from individuals.

Grantmaking accounted for 27% — $1.41 billion — of total 2010 giving, an increase of less than 1% over 2009. The total includes grantmaking by MCF member Greater Twin Cities United Way, which was included in the research for the first time to create a more comprehensive picture of charitable giving in Minnesota. Without that addition, total 2010 grantmaking would have declined 4.1% from 2009.

Foundation Assets GrowingWhile grantmaking has not fully recovered from the economic downturn, foundation assets are beginning to rise. Assets grew 3.8% to $16.9 billion in 2010, but are still slightly below the pre-recession 2007 level of $17 billion.

Corporate Grantmakers Lead GivingThe Giving in Minnesota research indicates that corporate foundations and giving programs, which comprise 9% of the 1,467 grantmakers in the state, gave 45% of all 2010 grant dollars. Private foundations — 85% of Minnesota’s grantmakers — gave 38% of grant dollars. Community/public foundations accounted for the remaining 17%.

Education Received Largest Share of Grant DollarsThe three subject areas receiving the largest shares of Minnesota’s grant dollars were education (27%), human services (23%) and public affairs/society benefit (16%).

Subject area information is based on analysis of grants of $2,000 or more made by a sample of 100 of Minnesota’s top grantmakers. These grants represented about two-thirds of the state’s philanthropic giving for the year. Overall, grantmaking by the sample increased 3% from 2009 to 2010.

Trends for Geographies, Beneficiaries & Types of SupportIn 2010 51% of dollars given by Minnesota grantmakers went to organizations and programs serving Minnesota. The Twin Cities metro area received 31% of the total grant dollars, with Greater Minnesota and Minnesota statewide each receiving 10%.

Organizations serving other parts of the country and world received 49% of grant dollars. A majority (67%) of corporate grant dollars went out-of-state, reflecting businesses’ goals of distributing support between Minnesota, where they are headquartered, and other parts of the nation and world where they have facilities and customers.

Based on available data, 55% of the sample’s grants could be coded to a specific beneficiary group. Of those, the largest share of dollars — nearly 25% — went to organizations serving children and youth.

Grantmakers continued to devote the largest share of their giving — 62% in 2010 — to program support. Twenty percent of grant dollars went to general operating support and 9% to capital projects.

MCF conducts Giving in Minnesota research annually to examine long-term trends in charitable giving. For the Giving in Minnesota, 2012 Edition summary and full report, see www.mcf.org/research/giving.